Cats in Kobe
Paul, his wife and children lived for some years in Kobe. They arrived shortly after the devastating earthquake of 1995, before the infrastructure had been rebuilt. Part of the fallout, he writes, was cat colonies living in the local parking lot.
"One day, returning from work, I saw two children sitting with this beautiful stray calico kitten. I took her home and she has lived with us for the last decade.
"Now, with kids gone, my wife and I are leaving so that I can take another job in Singapore. And yes, you guessed it: We can't take the cat with us. What to do with her?